The Herd
by erinej97
Summary: When a group of mutants is finally released by a tall blond with wings they must find a way to live amongst reagular humans in broad daylight. Dodging whitecoats and erasers they call themselves The Herd and learn to live as a family until retirement day.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: original story by James Patterson (one of my favorite authors!)

There was no others like me in the school. All alone, all alone. Until the science lab doors burst open. I looked up preparing myself for unimaginable torture. But instead of lab coats bird kids barged in. My lifeless eyes brightened a little. I wasn't alone there were others like me others with wings! The tall blond one walked right up to my medium sized dog crate opened it reaching out her hand. The other bird kids had already opening the other bird kids started opening the other crates.

"Come on." the tall blond offered.

Surprised by myself for trusting her, it could of easily been a lab coat trick, I toke her hand. Me and the other avian kids followed them through the sewers.

Then as predictable as it was an eraser popped up.

"That way." the blond tall girl said.

_What?_ Shes letting us go! I herded the other hybrids that way and didn't look back as we ran through the sewers. I felt so bad I just knew that girl and her friends would be killed by that eraser.

As we were running a white coat apparently on his way back to the lab we stopped in our tracks the white coat walked past us taking a quick glance at me as he passed.

We had run and run but eventually everyone got tired. Everyone tried to slope down on a dry ledge. I stretched my wings for the first time in what felt like ages. I looked over the group of hybrids and avian kids.

" What a relief to be out of there!" a raccoon piped up braking the silence, " I was starting to think I'd have to live and die in that rat hole."

"Hey!" squeaked a rat the size of a small Chihuahua. "Rat holes are actually pretty clean unlike those litter infested places your species likes to live in!"

For the first time I really looked over the group there was a small black boy with spiky hair and a monkey tail, twins about age 5 with cat-like quality's, A snow white dog and cat with bat wings, And a girl turned to the wall. From what I could see she had fins on her arms on the top of her head. There was also something I hadn't noticed until it curled up at my feet. It was the most beautiful cat I'd ever seen besides the three eyes and angle wings.

As I looked at the group which seemed so much bigger in the science lab I felt something in the pit of my stomach as if the creatures before me were calling out to me asking for help.

"Okay listen up!" I said unfurling my wings a little and rustling my feathers. "first things first we need to get out of these sewers, like now!"


	2. Chapter 2

Book One: Every herd needs its Alpha.

Everyone just stared. No one objected that, obviously. I shifted on my feet nervously at all the attention everyone gave me.

Suddenly a little self conscious I pulled my long pale blond curls behind one ear, "Ideas anyone?"

The white cat and dog barked and meowed at the same time. The raccoon shook its head in understanding.

" They said that its that way." the raccoon said pointing in one direction.

"And how would they know?"I asked fascinated.

"I don't know they just do." the raccoon said shrugging his shoulders(I didn't even know raccoon could do that!)

"Um, okay. Common guys the sooner we get out of here the sooner we can be rid of that school forever." As I lead the group out of the sewers something warm at the bottom of my soul seemed to ignite. I felt like I was made for this, made to lead this group out of this place, away from the school and into a new life free of lab coats.

Once we got out of the sewers the whole group started to drift apart.

"Hey where are you all going?" I asked

"Away from here." the fish girl said.

"And then what?" I asked. "I think we need to stay together. We've never been out of that stinking lab except to be moved or for "test"." I persuaded, they started to come back and stand by me. "First I think we should learn all we can about the world of the living about each other and then try to blend in as much as possible"

They had all come to stand around me and were looking at me expectently as if I might have all the answers.

"First things first, we need names to identify each other by."

"I call being subject 84-2 though are my favorite numbers." the little monkey boy said excitedly.

"No I mean real names." I said impatiently, "Like Penelope I've always loved the name Penelope."

They two cat girls looked at each other then said "kitty" at they same time.

" No I want to be kitty!"

"But I thought of it first!"

"Compromise," I chimed in, "You can be kitty, and you can be Kat!" The two looked at each other smiled and nodded.

The dog and cat both barked and meowed at the same time.

The raccoon nodded and spoke for them again. "They said that their name shale be ultimo and that they are one being and require only one name."

"Okay." I said a little confused.

"If their ultimo then I'm supreme!" said the rat raising his head.

"Oh please." the raccoon complained.

"Fine then I'll be uh Vasco, yeah Vasco!" he puffed out his chest and raised his little rat head.

"Um I want to be Scale." the fish girl stuttered.

"Oh I know I'll be Moe one syllable."the monkey boy said proudly.

"Whats a syllable?" I asked him baffled.

"I don't know the word just came to me and as soon as it came it disappeared, weird huh?"

"Yeah, really weird."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay now that we all have names we should call this group a special name just for us." I said I'd always wanted a group of my own !

"I know were a herd!" the monkey boy "Moe" said jumping up and down. I looked at him for explanation and he just shrugged his little monkey shoulders.

"Okay then we are The Herd and from now on we are free, free from white coats and free from cages. But at the same time this means no more free meals too. Were on our own now but we have each other."

The Herd looked to me expectantly again like I had all the answers.

"First off we have to find a place to stay until night its still to dangerous to travel around in broad day light right now."

We sneaked around the city until we came to a run down abandoned apartment building. We stayed there until nightfall some of The Herd fell asleep but I just couldn't and stayed awake the entire time. As it got darker it was almost seemed as though the world got clearer. I could see everything from ants across the room to specks of dust on the cracked windows.

Kitty and Kat both awoke precisely at the same time arching their backs in a very cat like way. Both their eyes glowed a bright greenish-yellow. Scale slinked in from another room and Ultimo came trotting in from the same room its cat half riding the dog half's back.

Moe came swinging down from an upper level that I had told him was completely unstable and Vasco and The Raccoon came down with him.

"Its nightfall time to assume our disguises." I said tucking my wings in tight. "Everyone else stay here Ultimo come with me." We were the only ones with wings and if I could remember how we could fly over the city and inspect it. I mean give me a break I'd only had two other opportunity's to try them out before, both failures.

Once we were outside I asked Ultimo, "Hey you know how to fly?"

He barked meowed then barked again. Then realizing I don't speak animal the cat half jumping off the dog half's back and slowly demonstrated tack off their motions completely in sync.

My "new" eye caught every slight motion and in moments I was soaring high to join Ultimo in the air. Breathing heavily at the lack of air in the sky. For the first time I realized how beautiful my wings really were, I mean I thought they were pretty before but outstretched like this, I saw that they had about a 15 ft. wing span and were a fine reddish-brown color with white speckles all over.

"Okay Ultimo." I said smiling a little more than I needed to, "Lets go."

It barked/meowed stretching out its identical pure black wings that certainly didn't compliment its pure white coat. It soared on the warm updraft. I followed close _behind_ it still un sure of my flying skills.


	4. Chapter 4

Ultimo and I soared above the city. I repeatedly rubbed my arms; it was extremely cold up in the air. The city lights were even brighter in the night. I turned to Ultimo and pointed down to a dimly lit building. The dog/cat/it nodded and we descended upon it. I willed my self warmer and I was; a trick I had picked up in a weather conditions test.

My belly rumbled, "Um, maybe we should get something to eat,"

Ultimo barked/meowed in agreement.

We swooped down to A yellow and red building that smelt of grease and cheese. A large M sat on the top I looked at the top. I looked at the sign and stared for a few seconds. "Ugh, I must learn to read."

Ultimo barked/meowed and ran around back. I followed feeling like me it was weary of going in the front.

Ultimo pushed and dragged to a giant box. It stank and smelled good. I carefully lifted the lid. Inside there were sandwiches fries, half eaten chicken and other stuff. The dog half lifted the cat half into the box. The cat grabbed a sandwich and gobbled it down. I looked around quickly discovering a big plastic bag.

"Perfect."

Soon Ultimo and I had returned to The Herd. They excitedly gathered around and dug in. I also noticed this new girl who looked completely normal though with a white cloak on that most of us did and Scale was missing!

"Hey where's Scale and what's she doing here?" I asked

Moe answered, "Silly, that is Scale, she learned a new trick."

Before my eyes the new girl sprouted fins and scales popped up around her body and lied down flat in place, and she looked exactly like Scale.

"Oh wow, that's amazing."

Scale blushed turning back into the new girl.

We sat around the food bag, me emanating warmth from my body talking about what had happened while me and Ultimo were away. Apparently Kitty and Kat could see in the dark while Vasco and The Raccoon couldn't.

"Imagine, a human hybrid being able to see in the dark while I cat see a thing. It's just not natural!" Vasco complained crossing his arms in front of him.

Soon the whole Herd had fallen back to sleep after the huge meal. Something furry slipped between my feet. "Eeeeeeekkkk! A rat!"

"Oh, har har." Vasco said.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of our lives were pretty much perfect. We ate from the back of fast food joints, blended in with society, and I even learned to read! At least this is what I wish I could say happened.

The next morning everything went wrong.

It started when we heard a thump in the basement. Use all being some combo of an animal we could hear it loud and clear. My eyes flashed open in the sunlight everything was a bit fuzzy. I quickly looked over each member of The Herd. No one had awakened. I sighed heavily tucking in my wings that had sub consciously unfolded themselves (yes for all those skipping ahead I HAVE WINGS).

"Um, Penelope. I think I heard something." Moe the monkey boy mumbled.

"It's okay Moe. Go back to sleep I'll check it out." I got up and headed for the basement steps and of course Moe didn't listen. He followed right behind my right wing as if using it as a shield. For the first time I noticed how thin he was, he was thin like those said commercial on starving little African boys. He was also actually pretty young maybe 9 or 10.

As we descended down the steps I became aware of a low grumbling, almost growling. I tried to swallow my fear in front of Moe. I had to be brave for him. When we reached the bottom I could tell it was dark 1.) Because I could see more clearly, and 2.) Moe said, "It's really dark down here."

"Stay here by the steps okay, if anything happens run upstairs grab the others and get out of here." That warm feeling in the pit of my stomach had started again. I walked into the middle of the incredibly large basement. My eyes more focused than ever I searched every corner of the basement searching for anything suspicious

. "Ow!" I twirled to see Moe pulling a small dart out of his neck. Instinctively he sniffed it.

"Moe, don't play with that." I said rushing over to him.

"But I didn't….." then he collapsed.

"Moe!" I screamed in a panic I ran to his side. "Moe, get up man this isn't funny. Moe!" I shoke him violently trying to rouse him.

Then I heard a deep cackling from a dark corner. Even my eyes couldn't pinpoint the sound.

"Who's there?" I got up shakily. "Come out, uh, you coward?" That didn't sound right even to me. The cackling got deeper and louder. Out from the darkness stepped out, that's right you guessed it, an eraser. (This story may be getting interesting afterall.)


End file.
